Our office continues to be open to all new and existing patients. We use hospital-grade sanitizers and are taking measures to ensure patients maintain social distancing by not having anyone wait in our reception room with others. If you prefer to wait in your car, just give us a call and we will call or text you when we are ready to bring you straight into a treatment room. Our entire staff is wearing masks and we encourage you to do the same.

For those patients who cannot or still wish not to visit the office, we are offering private video telemedicine visits. Simply call the office at 713-785-7881 and ask for an e-visit and we will be happy to get you set up for an immediate appointment. You can also request an appointment through our website.

Right now, much of the Southern United States is frozen in inactivity because of the colder temperatures, snow and ice (Big shout out to our friends in Atlanta!) But not you, my devoted runners—you head out to log in your miles no matter what mother nature has in store for us. In fact, you might even welcome the drop of the thermometer as you clock in longer runs with less sweating.

Now, I’m all for getting your exercise in year-round, but I want to give you a warning—you can get dehydrated on long runs, even if it’s cold outside. When you’re running in 80-degree or more weather, as we usually do in Houston, you’re aware of how much water your body is losing. No doubt, you then take extra precaution to replenish your fluids during and after your run.

When it’s cold outside, however, you’re likely focusing on running fast, getting back indoors and warming up again. You may not realize you’re dehydrating if you don’t feel yourself sweating and while you may not think that dehydration is that big a deal, you’re wrong!

In addition to impeding your running performance, dehydration is actually a leading cause of running problems. Even a small imbalance of fluids can cause your muscles to cramp, and if you become severely dehydrated, you may start to stumble, leaving you vulnerable to sprains and fractures.

Runners who stay want to avoid injuries always have to remain vigilant and, as your Houston podiatrist, I’m merely here to remind you not to let your guard down, even in winter. For any running-related foot or ankle injuries, come see me at Tanglewood Foot Specialists as soon as possible.